Democrats in Congress are in the minority, but they are banking on an assumption that the American public backs their gun control proposals.

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty said Wednesday that the rules of the House limit their ability to make change, “but the will of the American people as expressed through their representatives and as expressed at the ballot box,” will hopefully prompt the Republican majority to call for a vote.

“This is a third rail issue,” Esty said. “This could be a galvanizing issue this year.”

She said if the 90 percent of American who believe in background checks for gun purchases vote on the issue of gun control then “there will be a sea change.”

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro said she knows there’s an environment where a vote may be unlikely, but she’s not going to “concede.” She said Connecticut’s delegation, which has been a leader on the issue of gun control, and the rest of the Democrats in the House who participated in the 25-hour sit-in last week, will continue to press for a vote.

“It truly is a groundswell across the country,” DeLauro said.

It’s unknown how many demonstrations in support of their efforts to get a vote were taking place this week.

A letter last week signed by six Democratic lawmakers who lead the sit-in, including U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia and U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, asked lawmakers to join them in a “National Day of Action” on June 29 to continue the fight for a vote.

“Our sit-in showed that the Republican Leadership can no longer ignore the epidemic of gun violence,” the Democrats wrote. “A movement was born and will only continue to grow.”